Mad Libs
much madness is divinest sense to a discerning eye
A Sunday 
About the Author
Diana Pharaoh Francis
High Fantasy Adventure
Quote of the Nonce
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Fail again. Fail better.
~Samuel Beckett

Probably, indeed, the larger part of the labor of an author composing his work is critical labor; the labor of sifting, combining, constructing, expunging, correcting, testing. This frightful toil is as much critical as creative.
~T.S. Eliot

The real secret of magic is that the world is made of words, and that if you know the words that the world is made of you can make of it whatever you wish. ~Terence McKenna

Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences.
~Anne McCaffrey

The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.
~Robert Cormier

If you don't feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating yourself, of losing control of the whole thing, then probably what you are doing isn't very vital. If you don't feel like you are writing somewhat over your head, why do it? If you don't have some doubt of your authority to tell this story, then you are not trying to tell enough.
~ John Irving

Sometimes making stuff up feels a lot like Coyote* running across the empty space between one rocky pinnacle and the next, and as long as you keep moving you're fine. When you stop and look down, it's suddenly all too apparent that there's absolutely nothing underneath and that you're keeping in the air by a peculiar effort of will.

And then a good day comes, and you start running through the air once again, and, if you're smart, you resolutely don't look down. ~Neil Gaiman
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13th-Apr-2008 07:15 pm
Today began in quite a lazy way. We got up late and then pilly-poddled around for a bit. Then I got my hair re-purpled (thank you my kind husband), and then we decided it was so beautiful a day, that we'd go off and do a bit of driving and geocaching. So off to Butte for some Mexican Food and then we found a bed for my daughter (been looking forever for the right one) and then went caching. Climbed some tall hills and really it was huge fun. But the best part was being outside in the sun with a breeze and snow on the ground here about (melting quickly). Oh, and I went into Hastings and signed stock and found this very cool topographic mapping program for Montana. It will be very handy for Bitter Night.   All in all, it was a very good day. 

Yesterday involved cleaning and now my office is quite a bit more workable and less dusty. Still needs some dusting though. But it is better. And the upstairs is less linty and dusty, though I did try very hard to break the vacuum cleaner while doing it (but luckily it still works and this is a good thing). There is still much to be cleaned, but then again, it's warmer outside and the garden calls . . . I bed you can guess which one will win, eh?

I have a problem with The Turning Tide. I have a knotty place that I need the pacing and action to pick up and I am not entirely sure how I'm going to solve it. Specifically a lot of things are converging and have to happen before we can move on, but a lot of it is non-actiony, so I need to figure out how to pick up the tension and pacing. It's coming along a bit in terms of hammering that out. So hopefully I'll be able to get some words strung together tomorrow.

Oh, and I read Ilona Andrews' Magic Burns. Last year I waxed on about how great Magic Bites was, well, Magic Burns is at least as good. It's really really really good. Really. So go read it. Kick ass heroine--super snarky and smart and brave and a good story and excellent world and magic and characters. Top notch Urban Fantasy.

Di
mask
Comments 
14th-Apr-2008 01:55 am (UTC)
magic burns was one of the books ive been waiting for. I hate waiting for books a lot. My only issue with the entire thing was that im not seeing enough of her back story. She hints at it, we all know it. But specifics are a bit muddled. After two books i want to know who her father is, what he is, and a bit about her past beyond what we've been told so far. But yes, phenomenal books :)
[info]drakos_inferno
14th-Apr-2008 03:17 pm (UTC)
I just can't figure out where the new door came from exactly . . . But anyhow. I think the setup in this book says that her past is going to be front and center with the next one, with the knights off mixing it up with Roland and all those other issues rising . . . But yeah, waiting is the hard part. Dammit.

Di
[info]difrancis
14th-Apr-2008 02:28 am (UTC)
Read that recently myself. Nummies... Curran... *drool*

Cleaned our computer room a bit too. Finally reorganized the bookcase in there so I have my VHS (I have a mini tv/vcr combo I keep on my desk) and now all my writing projects right at my finger tips!! Woot! AND I was able to get an uber cheap copy of Microsoft office through work so soon I will actually be able to type at my desk and not have to pull out the ole laptop.

And I seriously wish I could do green hair. One day... one day... Wasn't ever brave enough in college *headdesk* and now I can't for work! But I think my husband would just look at me like I was nuts. He's already annoyed it's not red. :)
[info]mela_lyn
14th-Apr-2008 03:19 pm (UTC)
i walked into my office this a.m. and was shocked. Felt like perhaps I was in the wrong room. Hee! Too clean.

My husband *knows* I'm nuts. And I don't know how but I convinced him to do the actualy dyeing of my hair. Which is just funny beyond all measure.

Di
[info]difrancis
14th-Apr-2008 08:42 pm (UTC)
I've had Sam help with my hair... usually it takes crying out in worry or well... boobs. :) TMI? But that's only if I'm dying it red. He was whining I dyed it blonde Saturday, though I did do dark honey blonde b/c with the brown I had used last, it looks dark blonde/strawberry. He just doesn't undrstand that I've been blonde for my whole life and dying it blonder for a decade. My sister is the red head (though not naturally)... eh. Boys.
[info]mela_lyn
14th-Apr-2008 09:09 pm (UTC)
Yeah. I know the zombie boobie factor, as I believe you posted in your blog not too long ago.

I can do an all over color on my hair without help, but the purple is thicker and requires painting on, since I don't do the whole head. Yes, one of these days I will take a picture (said the picture-phobe).

Do blond with red streaks! Or red with blond streaks! Or red and blond with green streaks!

[info]difrancis
15th-Apr-2008 01:45 am (UTC)
Yeah... I've never streaked my hair. :) I have natural highlights that shine through even the dye. Green isn't allowed at work, regretfully. The most 'exotic' color I've ever done was maroon/purply red that was darker than blood. The guys at work call me 'Natasha' every time I do it b/c I studied Russian. *headdesk* I want to cut it really short, something I've never done before, but I'm afraid of what it will look like b/c my hair is soooooo thick that it gets poofy.
[info]mela_lyn
14th-Apr-2008 11:11 am (UTC)
So glad you liked it :)
[info]meep_snookies
14th-Apr-2008 03:21 pm (UTC)
Well, all except the part where it ENDED. Heh. So one small strange question . . . who had the door put on? Curran? Her apartment manager (the sloooooooow one?) Someone else? I don't know why that bothers me. Perhaps because I'm a complete dork. Yes. I believe that must be it. NOw I have to go back and read Magic Bites because it's been awhile, and well, yummy tasty treat!

Di
[info]difrancis
14th-Apr-2008 08:44 pm (UTC)
I think the door was from Curran... I mean, he ended book 1 by replacing her roof... and he was doing the whole 'welcome home' thing. Besides... he shared soup so like totally!! ;) *drool* Gawd he's yummy... oh- sorry. *wipes clean keyboard*
[info]mela_lyn
14th-Apr-2008 09:07 pm (UTC)
Yes, I thought it was him too, but I didn't think to connect it with the roof. And I thought he'd say something about it.

As for Curran . . . some of the things Ilona does to portray his developing interest are marvelous. Like when he comes and finds Kate after the fight, likely because only being with her can calm him down, and then breathes in her scent. Like it. And then when he carefully pulls back from snatching naked Bran by the neck. And that Kate doesn't seem to make anything out of those hints. Whether from willful unwillingness to acknowledge (as I suspect) or total fear of going that road (which I also suspect). Dumb, she ain't, so it isn't that she's clueless.

The moments are brief and telling and Curran, while being Mr. Testosterone, also doesn't try to stop Kate from being Kate. Except at the battle scene, but then she goes battle nuts and does it anyhow. But he never chastises her. Which I like.

I could keep going. I ought to go write.
[info]difrancis
15th-Apr-2008 01:30 am (UTC)
Oh, I understand... I could go on for hours just dreaming and drooling over Curran. He's a lovely topic. And yes, for being the epitome of Alpha Male, he's amazingly open minded and his willingness to let Kate be her rocks. And Ilona does an amazing job balancing it. My favorite part is him sharing food... and then Kate being told what that means... bwahahahaha!!!
[info]mela_lyn
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